One of the horror genre's "most widely read critics" (Rue Morgue # 68), "an accomplished film journalist" (Comic Buyer's Guide #1535), and the award-winning author of Horror Films of the 1980s (2007), The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia (2007) and Horror Films of the 1970s (2002), John Kenneth Muir, presents his blog on film, television and nostalgia, named one of the Top 100 Film Studies Blog on the Net.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

In 1976, Kenner dominated the toy market with its excellent and diverse line of toys related to The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. Desiring a share of that same market, Ideal produced a 16 inch superheroic figure named Electroman (with an enemy alien called "Zogg"), Mego produced "The Bionic Villain" Dr. Kromedome(!) and not to be left out, Mattel got into the act with an interesting hero of their own called Pulsar, "The Ultimate Man of Adventure."

As advertised on his box, Pulsar stands an impressive "13 1/2 inches tall with space boots and costume. Jacket has emblem on his right breast. Transparent chest exposes "workable" vital organs. Two computer "brain" mission disks & complete instructions included."Thus, this white-haired hero (with a very serious face...) wears a spiffy black and white uniform with lightning emblem or insignia on his chest. If you remove the velcro wrappings of his suit, you can see all the major organs of Pulsar's chest: lungs, heart, intestines, everything. You can even see his blood flowing around in there. "You activate his vital systems!" screamed the box, advising children to "Push his back, Heart beats! Lungs breathe! Blood flows!" I guess this was competition of sort for Colonel Steve Austin, who had a bionic arm and a bionic eye.

Pulsar also, apparently, could be programed for each mission you sent him on, and you could lift his up face and "insert mission disks" directly into his brain. "He almost comes alive!," said the box. Recommended for ages 5 and up, "no mission is impossible for" Pulsar.

The intrepid Pulsar fanatic could monitor Pulsar in a well-constructed playset (sold separately) called the Life Systems Center. This device allowed you to "program him" for missions, "double-check X-rays", "light-scan his brain", "set all systems," and "activate vital organs." Molded in blue plastic, the Life Systems Center is essentially a very large laboratory wall with three sections. In the left-most section is a body-length X-ray scanner, "screen" and machine (which lights up; batteries not included).

In the middle section, Pulsar is strapped in with a belt, for monitoring, and there are "shoulder braces" and a "brain probe light."

And in the right most section of the Life Systems Center, you have your control panel,which you activate with a large press-key molded in orange, here described as a "remote activator." A wheel allows you to change Pulsar's program from "status check" to "Go*Program A4*Go," to "Backup Program" to "Start Program" to (in red letters) "All Systems Max." There are also programs D10, C8 and B6...whatever they are.

Pulsar's "Pulsatronic system" is monitored and can be keyed with a control dial set on "verge" or "C8" or "0.20." His biologic system can be made to read "verge," "go" or "limit" and his Power Systems also includes several cryptic read-outs. It's all very technical and neat, if you are living in the year of the Bicentennial. Heck - I love it.

Finally, not pictured (because I don't have him...yet...), is Pulsar's dastardly nemesis: Hypnos, "The Ultimate Enemy." Hypnos is a villainous-looking humanoid who has a giant hypno wheel embedded in his chest. Molded in black and purple, he's pretty scary and alien-looking.

I remember seeing "Pulsar The Ultimate Man of Adventure" in toy stores when I was six years old, and passing them up for Six Million Dollar Man and Space:1999 toys, but really, Pulsar is pretty damn cool. I don't exactly what precisely his skill set is, except that he has a transparent chest, but still, he seems like a pretty neat collectible. He didn't have the advantage of his own TV show, so maybe I need to create one. Now I just need to find someone with a see-through torso...

About John

award-winning author of 27 books including Horror Films FAQ (2013), Horror Films of the 1990s (2011), Horror Films of the 1980s (2007), TV Year (2007), The Rock and Roll Film Encyclopedia (2007), Mercy in Her Eyes: The Films of Mira Nair (2006),, Best in Show: The Films of Christopher Guest and Company (2004), The Unseen Force: The Films of Sam Raimi (2004), An Askew View: The Films of Kevin Smith (2002), The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film & Television (2004), Exploring Space:1999 (1997), An Analytical Guide to TV's Battlestar Galactica (1998), Terror Television (2001), Space:1999 - The Forsaken (2003) and Horror Films of the 1970s (2002).

Follow by Email

What the Critics Say...

"...some of the best writing about the genre has been done by John Kenneth Muir. I am particularly grateful to him for the time and attention he's paid to things others have overlooked, under-appreciated and often written off. His is a fan's perspective first, but with a critic's eye to theme and underscore, to influence and pastiche..." - Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files, in the foreword to Horror Films FAQ (October 2013).

"Hands down, John Kenneth Muir is one of the finest critics and writers working today. His deep analysis of contemporary American culture is always illuminating and insightful. John's film writing and criticism is outstanding and a great place to start for any budding writer, but one should also examine his work on comic books, TV, and music. His weighty catalog of books and essays combined with his significant blog production places him at the top of pop culture writers. Johns work is essential in understanding the centrality of culture in modern society." - Professor Bob Batchelor, cultural historian and Executive Director of the James Pedas Communication Center at Thiel College (2014).

"...an independent film scholar, [Muir] explains film studies concepts in a language that is reader-friendly and engaging..." (The Hindu, 2007)"...Muir's genius lies in his giving context to the films..." (Choice, 2007)